Dawn on Ross Lake

©Paul Anderson Ridge Lines at Dawn

Sometimes there are only seconds at dawn to capture the image. Changing weather pattern, changing light, changing color values all affect the image you have in your mind.

Remember, one of the best times to capture the mood of the landscape is during changing weather patterns and changing light conditions.

Try and be ready to capture the image as quickly as you can. With so many variables changing so rapidly you may only have seconds to get a usable image. Choose your primary composition and capture it - follow your instincts.

I remember hiking down to the bottom of Canyon de Chelly with my 75 pound pack. I quickly found a composition I liked of White House Ruins. I set up my 4x5 view camera and waited for the late light to begin its ascent up the canyon wall.

Another photographer soon joined me, set up his 4x5 and began his wait. But he soon decided to move to a different location - a process that took about 5 minutes. After a few more minutes he moved again, and then again, and again. By the time the light started to move up the wall I was capturing the image and he was trying to set up in a new position. I used approximately 30 sheets of film and one of those was used on a magazine cover, in several calendars, and in catalogs for photo tour companies. He never shot a single picture.

I believe that my hike back up the steep trail, with my heavy pack, in the dark, to the canyon rim was easier for me knowing I had captured a good image.

In a photo like this, don't be afraid to shoot many duplicates as the sky changes, you'll never know which photo is going to convey the emotion that you are feeling as you look at the landscape. Many times I fail to capture even one image that I have pre-visualized, but if I don't put myself into that position I will never capture what I want.

Your photograph, just like this one, may never be published, but this portrayal of elusive color and early dawn light meant something to me and so it was worth getting up early.

Canoe and Kayak Ross Lake

© Paul K Anderson

© Paul K Anderson

Come on up and visit Ross Lake to canoe, kayak, hike, or climb and be sure to stop by and visit and check on cabin availability for your next trip.

RLR provides the only shuttle service on the lake and can run you, your gear,  and supplies the full length of the lake in our fast shuttle boat.

We also rent boats, canoes and kayaks, but you must reserve in advance during the busy summer season.

There are occasional cabins available on specific dates, so if you can plan your adventure around your reservation you could start or end your trip in style and comfort.

And of course, if you bring your own canoe or kayak, RLR will shuttle you and your gear by truck from the base of Ross Dam and Diablo Lake to Ross Lake and back again at the end of your trip.

Remember you must reserve camping sites through the National Park Service.  See the link on the right side of the blog.

Check out www.rosslakeresort.com for rates and fees.

The Log Boom

© Paul K. Anderson

Besides protecting the resort the log booms can serve another important purpose..........

Exploration routes!

Old Friends

© Paul K. Anderson

This past fall waiting down on the boat dock I ran into a couple of old friends.  That's Rick on the left and Dennis on the right.

I first met them back in the early to mid 80's at a company where we all worked.  It turns out that Dennis and I had several mutual friends from back in the mid 70's, when he was a ski instructor at Keystone Resort and I was a certifiable ski bum drifting around the mountains of Summit County, Colorado.

Tom Barnett the resorts owner went to Meadowdale High with both of them, and Dennis worked at the resort the first year Tom took it over.  

So these friends have been coming to the resort with groups of other friends for close to 35 years now.

Time For Yourself

© Paul K. Anderson

© Paul K. Anderson

If you don't feel like fishing and want to get out and about there are many hikes to go on and many coves and inlets to explore around the lake.

Kathy, Nancy and Colleen are headed up the Ruby Arm to the creek for a picnic lunch and break from the kids and guys.

Just around the corner from where Ruby Creek enters the lake, many of our guests create cairns or temporary rock art from the numerous rocks and boulders that are exposed after the spring runoff subsides.

Flowers

Carol is an artist.  She arranges all of the pots, barrels, and planters that you see along the docks and in front of the cabins.  

From spring until late fall something, somewhere is in bloom around the resort.

And you know what?  We don't typically drag hoses around to water the plants!

We don't have to.

We have a bucket to scoop water directly from the lake.

Anticipation

©Paul Anderson
Remember when you were a kid, and how it seemed to take forever for those special events to arrive?

Every year, weeks before we start our trip to Ross Lake Resort, the kids start asking "how soon", and "are the fish biting", "who can we invite?"

And they comment: "I'm jumping in the water as soon as we get there", "this year I'm going up to Lightening Creek", or "this year I'm swimming underwater at Ruby Creek", "this year I'm letting the waterfall hit me."

Several years ago there was an early fall storm, it uncharacteristically rained on our trip in and when we arrived at the cabin we could see it was snowing less than 500 feet above us.

Eight year old Mackenzie couldn't wait - she had been anticipating this moment for too long - she had to take the plunge in the rain and the cold.

And she did it, she swam out to the log boom and back.

All the adults sitting under the eaves of their cabins or at their dining tables playing cards, reading, planning the late afternoon fish, grinned, shook their heads and remembered when they would have done the same.

Mackenzie climbed out of the water, walked slowly into the bathroom and when she finally sat in her tub of warm water I heard a satisfied "aaahhhhhh!"

Anticipation complete.

The next day was sunny and 75 degrees.

Full Moon Over the Log Booms

© Paul Anderson

Our New Water Taxi

© Paul K Anderson
Many of you may have seen our new water taxi this past summer!  I'll take more about it in the future but for now here is a nice photo taken by Paul last September.